1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility that is controlled by a control program and has a plurality of facility components.
2. Description of Related Art
A method for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility. An intervention in the production facility is, for example, a change in the operating mode under which the control program controls the production facility. A control program usually includes at least two distinct operating modes, i.e., an automatic mode and a manual mode. In addition to these two modes, a so-called setup mode may be provided. In the setup mode, the automatic processes are activated in part, and manual interventions, not allowed in the automatic mode, are possible. Switching between automatic mode and manual mode is an intervention in the production facility, which is often recorded and logged, e.g., to obtain an overview of the down times of the production facility. In addition, this or a similar intervention may also be recorded to detect any unauthorized operations or interventions in the production facility, e.g., in food processing.
Until now, such recording have always related to a control system of the production facility and thus only indirectly to the production facility itself. For example, actuating a control element, e.g., a switch to switch between manual and automatic mode, initially affects the control program and its operating mode. Recording such an intervention is possible primarily because the control element is part of the control system and is therefore monitored by the control program in any event. Since each actuation of the control element influences the behavior of the control program, it is easy to detect and record such interventions.
Conventional systems, however, are unable to detect automatic interventions in the production facility itself. Therefore, the conventional automatically generated records on the operational situation of a production facility are incomplete.